Do all the world incalculable and measuring?No.However, here we do not talk about such philosophical concepts as love or friendship.We are interested in uncountable nouns in English.We analyze all the nuances of their use.
concept uncountable nouns
the word "love" (love) and "friendship" (friendship) will be subject to the most relevant.Neither can not be calculated.We can say 'a lot of love, "but can not" three love ".That's how we distinguish between countable and uncountable nouns, the number of first you can always count.Maybe a bottle of water, two bottles of water (one bottle of water, two bottles of water), but "only water" (one water), "two waters" (two waters) or "three water" (three waters) - sodo not speak.The word "water" - uncountable.
Why do I get acquainted with the category uncountable nouns?You could not properly use these words without knowing if you can count them?In fact, in the English language is important, because before uncountable nouns not used the indefinite article "a" (for nouns with a vowel - an), and the definite article the is used only in some cases.
Types uncountable nouns
Note that any Russian can have uncountable nouns English counterpart, which lends itself to account.Although discrepancies are rare.In any case, you should have an idea of what words can be attributed to the uncountable least to properly use them articles.The list uncountable nouns in English include:
- abstract nouns: beauty - beauty, permission - permission;
- names of diseases: flu - influenza;
- weather conditions: rain - rain;
- food: cheese - cheese;
- material: water - water;
- sports or activities: gardening - gardening;
- items: equipment - equipment;
- geographic features: the Mississippi - Mississippi;
- languages: German - German, Russian - Russian.
well as number of general nouns such information - the information, money - money.In most cases, not difficult to guess whether the uncountable noun.But some words can be difficult.For example, hair - hair.Some students are in a deadlock, meeting in the tasks a hair.In fact, hair and a hair - are different words.The first is really uncountable and is translated as the hair, the second word is "close call" and can be used in the plural.Word of advice, too, may surprise.It has plural, advices not exist.It can be translated as the "Council", and as "tips" depending on the situation.The word fruit is not a "one fruit," and "fruit."It is very rare to find fruits, but it has a pretty specific meaning to an exemplary sense "of different types of fruit."
Features drinking uncountable nouns: pronouns, the article
With uncountable nouns used only the definite article.For example, the news - the news.The indefinite article "a" in front of them never put.Also, these nouns have no plural.Many of them are, as it were in the plural: news.But they may be used with quantitative pronouns: some (a certain amount), little (little), much (much), as well as demonstrative: this (this), that (he).Besides all this, there are a number of words that make the uncountable nouns in English countable: slice, bowl, bag, bank, glass, tiles, cup, loaf, slice, and others.
For example, a bar of soap / chocolate / gold - a bar of soap / bar of chocolate / gold bullion, a bowl of fruits - a bowl of fruit, a carton of milk - carton of milk, a can of beer - can of beer, a cup of coffee - cup of coffee, a loaf of bread - a loaf of bread, or a loaf.
Uncountable nouns with a look of a piece of
very interesting use of the word "piece" - a piece of.It is often used with the most unexpected for a Russian abstract and uncountable words, for example, a piece of advice, a piece of music, a piece of information.And, of course, we are not going to translate these expressions as "a piece of the board", "piece of music" or "piece of information," although the latter option is quite admissible.But since this is a fairly stable expression, and translation will be specific "advice", "music", "message."
Matching uncountable nouns with verbs
which verb to use with uncountable nouns: in the form of singular or plural?For example, say "money on the table"?The money is on the chest or The money are on the chest?The right to be the first option.With uncountable nouns are used only in the singular verbs.Examples: the milk is fresh - fresh milk, the water is very hot - very hot water.But if used auxiliary words that measure uncountable nouns, verbs that agreement has been going with them.For example, two cartoons of milk are on the table - two packages of milk on the table, three bottles of water are in the fridge - three bottles of water in the refrigerator.
Uncountable nouns in the English language: the types
Can all nouns are not identifiable, divided into groups?In English, these two groups, and, oddly enough, they are divided by the number, singular or plural.To include multiple nouns that end in -s, -es.For example, the names of the games (darts), scientific theories (economics), groups and associations (Police, the Andes).Before they used the plural demonstrative pronouns those or these.Before uncountable noun singular, and the majority, in this case, or that this is used.
countable and uncountable nouns: examples
To better understand the characteristics of these types of nouns, consider a pair of nouns, one of which is assessed, and the other - uncountable.Particularly interesting are those that have the same transfer.So: song - music (the song - music), bottle - wine (bottle - wine), report - information (message - information), cupboard - furniture (cabinet - furniture), tip - advice (advice, tips - advice), job- work (work, piece work - work), jorney - travel (travel, travel - travel), view - scenery (overview, look - look, the landscape).The word "clock", which in the Russian language is used only in the plural, in the English will stand only in one.The watch is very expensive - These watches are very expensive.Though, when it comes to the set hours, then we can say watches.Word money can also cause difficulties.After Russian "money" - is the plural.In English the word money - it's always without exception, only a single number.For example, Money in not for me - money - it's not for me.Money is under the pillow - Money under a pillow.Other interesting uncountable nouns in English: mail (e-mail, that is, parcels and letters), garlic (garlic), harm (harm, evil, loss, damage), homework (homework), chalk (chalk), content (content,text and graphic content of the site), currency (currency), fame (notoriety, fame, popularity), garbage (rubbish, scum, residues), innicence (purity, innocence), jelly (jam), labour (work, especially physical work), livestock (cattle, animals, which are kept at the farm).
Uncountable nouns in the English language and possessive
possessive expresses property relations.For example, in the phrase "the dog's tail," it is not clear who belongs to whom.But if you give the word "dog" possessive form, it is immediately clear that the tail belongs to a dog, and not vice versa.Terms of staging English countable nouns in the possessive case are simple enough: you just add the ending "s" after the apostrophe, such as dog's tail.But how to say "water temperature", "mass of the substance" or "a few pounds of ice cream?"Immediately it should be noted that the inanimate nouns are rarely used in the possessive case.As a rule, used the preposition "of", for example: mass of a substance - the mass of the substance (as we see in the English language, the word "substance" is not an uncountable), few pounds of ice-cream - ice cream a few pounds.Often used by design "noun + noun".For example, water temperature - water temperature.
